SiriusXM to end The Howard Stern Show after nearly two decades

The Howard Stern Show, personality‑driven talk radio program hosted by Howard Stern over the last two decades, is set to be cancelled by SiriusXM. Insider sources have revealed to The US Sun that Stern’s contract is not likely to be renewed after it expires in the fall, even though he may reach a deal with the platform to host his catalog following his exit.  

A boundary‑pushing “shock jock”-turned-serious interviewer, Howard Stern has sat across some of the major figures across entertainment and politics. Starting his career in the early 1970s on terrestrial radio, he made his debut on SiriusXM's satellite radio platform in 2006, to benefit from the company's immunity from FCC censorship. The show broadcasts live weekdays from 7 AM to 10 AM ET on Howard 100, with complementary programming and replays on Howard 101.

Over the course of five decades, Howard Stern has evolved from a shock-jock provocateur to a cultural heavyweight and satellite radio pioneer, drawing A-list guests from the entertainment and political industries with his conversation-first style. He has conducted interviews with US President Donald Trump, whom Stern has called one of his “top‑five favorite” guests, and former President Joe Biden, who gave his first-ever on-air interview while in office to Stern in April 2024. Additionally, Stern conducted an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris in a well-reported SiriusXM special in October 2024.

Show insider reveals The Howard Stern Show is to be cancelled 

As the 71-year-old Howard Stern comes to the end of his final five-year contract with SiriusXM, industry insiders have revealed that it is not likely to be renewed. His contracts with the platform over the last two decades are estimated to be between $80 million and $100 million a year. While SiriusXM is expected to extend an offer, sources believe that it will not meet Stern’s financial demands. 

"Stern's contract is up in the fall and while Sirius is planning to make him an offer, they don't intend for him to take it. Sirius and Stern are never going to meet on the money he is going to want. It's no longer worth the investment," an insider told The US Sun. 

"However, SiriusXM is anticipated to work out an agreement to keep access to his vast production library even if Stern stops creating new content," they stated, adding, "But as far as him coming back to doing the show, there's no way they can keep paying his salary. After you saw what happened with Stephen Colbert, it's like they just can't afford to keep him going." 

The decision seems to have more to do with shifting corporate goals, cost considerations, as well as the changing political landscape than it does with ratings, which are still high. It's possible that Stern's political views, such as his well-known interview with then-VP and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during the 2024 election cycle, has played a role in this development. 

As another source told the outlet, “If Sirius isn't going to give Stern a good offer, I don't think it would have anything to do with his ratings. It's more likely everything to do with the political climate."

The decreased investment in Stephen Colbert by CBS and other recent network decisions were compared, indicating broader shifts in the way networks distribute money. Stern and SiriusXM have not spoken publicly on the situation, but indications suggest that a broadcasting era is coming to an end.

A look at the career of Howard Stern

Howard Stern's broadcasting career started out small at Boston University's college radio in the early 1970s, where he established his shock-jock reputation with controversial skits like "Godzilla Goes to Harlem." After graduating, he bounced around stations in Hartford, Detroit, Briarcliff Manor, and Washington, D.C., where he met long-term co-host Robin Quivers and honed his rebellious on-air persona. 

He relocated to WNBC in New York in 1982, but was sacked in 1985 for violating content rules. Howard received a second chance at WXRK (K-ROCK), where his morning program was syndicated in 1986. By the early 1990s, it had around 20 million listeners per day in 60 markets. Stern's cross-cultural appeal was cemented when he wrote the best-selling memoirs Private Parts (1993) and Miss America (1995), the first of which was adapted into an eponymous film in 1997.

Stern changed his platform in 2006 when he signed a historic $500 million contract with Sirius Satellite Radio, opening Howard 100 and Howard 101 channels and obtaining creative freedom beyond FCC restrictions. Later, he demonstrated his ability outside of radio by serving as a judge on America's Got Talent between 2012 and 2015. 

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